Celebrating the relaunch of a new look Wharf Bar, Manly has welcomed a new seaside venture, the Tropic. After reopening back in November 2021, the Mediterranean-inspired restaurant and bar is led by executive chef, Francois Poulard and owner, Ben May of May Hotels.
Long a local staple and destination for Sydneysiders all over, the reinvigorated venue elevates the already vibrant surf culture, beachside living and wharf-side dining precinct, giving the Northern Beaches community a new Wharf Bar that is bigger and better than ever. The new venue concept takes cues from its sister venue on the Gold Coast, Burleigh Pavilion, and its restaurant, also called the Tropic – a hot spot for locals, the surfing community, and a party destination for revellers around Australia.
May hopes to translate the success of the Goldie venue at the similarly laid-back locale of Manly and is pulling out all the stops to make this a one-size-fits-all restaurant. The Mediterranean-inspired has a strong seafood focus and is designed for the long-lunchers to take advantage of the oceanside stunner. The restaurant is centered around the large open kitchen, allowing diners in both the Tropic and the main bar a front row seat to Poulard and his team at work.
Grab a spot at one of the high terrazzo tables inside or a large table with friends on the new
wharf-side deck overlooking the harbour water and start with wood-fired bread and antipasto like burrata, taramasalata, olasagasti anchovies, padron peppers, and salami picante. Add some freshly shucked oysters or a prawn cocktail on ice to the mix, or small plates like lightly fried school-prawns, a whiting sando, grilled scallops, and beef tartare. Big ticket items include the cold seafood platter with spanner crab salad, scallop ceviche, chilled tiger prawns, kingfish crudo, freshly shucked oysters and woodfired flatbread; Eastern rock lobster frites, and a 1.2kg tomahawk steak frites.
Cocktails are fresh and simple. The ‘Amalfi’ inspired by limoncello of Italy, the ‘Saint Maxime’ that will take you on that trip you’ve been dying to take to the south of France, and the ‘Spiced Pineapple Margarita’, perfect for scorching summers or chilly beachside winters.